How to Get an App Made in 9 Easy Steps | Create Your Own Application

In our day and age, it seems like everyone is working on creating an app for one reason or another. Some are looking to create a fun gaming experience for their users. Some want to streamline a process for their business through creating a mobile application. And others simply want to put something unique of their own out into the world. For those of us who don’t already have an app but have an idea for one, the question is often how to get an app made and what steps do we need to take to get there.

In this article, we are going to cover some easy steps for you to take on your app development journey. We do want to preface this by saying that getting an app made is no simple task. Creating an app from scratch is not just the idea and the finished product, but every task along the way. Our hope is that by the end of this you will have a better idea on how to get an app made and into the hands of your target users as soon as possible.

Build A Mobile App in 9 Easy Steps

Step 1: Set goals, make a plan

Before you start getting your hands dirty with actually creating your app, you first need to plan. Plan as much as you can and try to get as much down on paper as you can. Whether you actually follow this plan is up to you, but writing out what you want is an important starting place.

Try your best to answer the following questions when starting to figure out how to get an app made.

Once you have these questions answered, now it’s time to do some research.

Step 2: Research your competition

Once you have a game plan for how to get an app made, you need to understand who you’re up against. By doing some research on potential competition, you can see what has worked for them and what hasn’t. You will also be able to really see how competitive your app will be.

Some will look out and see that others have attempted their app idea already. This might seem like the end, but you should think of it as the beginning. You are not the guinea pig for this idea. Instead, you can use them as a way to make your app even better than it would have been. This is why the research step is vital to your app’s overall success.

Step 3: Wireframe your idea

If you haven’t ever thought about how to get an app made before, you may not be familiar with wireframing. Wireframing is an app development practice where you lay out all of the features and traits of your app. Think of it as an outline to which you will refer back as you go through the process of creating your app.

There are tons of free wireframing tools online that you can utilize to make this process simple and easy. Wireframing will give you a good idea of where you need to focus moving forward.

Step 4: Define the backend of your app

Now that you have a wireframe built on how to get your app made, it’s time to take a brief look at the backend of your app and what it will look like. Using your wireframe, you need to delineate your servers, APIs, and data diagrams. If this sounds too technical, you may want to use a company that provides hosting and data collection services.

Regardless of how you do this, you should have a clear idea of your backend after this step. This will give the people working on your app guidance throughout the process.

Step 5: Seek out criticism and advice

Once you have a good idea of your direction, seek out friends, family, and co-workers to pitch them your idea. Be open to criticism and use that as a stepping stone to creating a better app.

By showing them your app in the early stages, you will be able to analyse your structure and foundation. Work on the functionality and brains of the app now before you get invested in the design. It will save you a lot of time and headaches down the road.

Step 6: Build it and they will come

Once you have a solid foundation and a better understanding of how to get an app made, start building! Whether with a developer or on your own, start building and testing your app until you have a solid prototype.

As you are doing this, be sure to get signed with Apple and Google Play. Once your app is finished, you won’t want to have to wait for approval before pushing it out to your users.

Again, don’t forget the feedback you received previously from your testers. The design and pathways for your app may make sense to you, but if new users hit a brick wall, you are going to be in trouble. It is essential to get this right before you go any further.

Step 7: Focus on app design

Now that you are absolutely sure that you have a good foundation, it is time to turn your focus on design. There are plenty of mobile app design mistakes you will want to avoid, so be sure you are familiar with these before you begin.

The user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are both becoming increasingly important. The way in which people navigate your app and the ease in which they do so are going to make or break your app. The team you are working with should have experience in this area and be capable of making your ideas reality.

Step 8: Test, adjust, test again.

As the design falls into place within the groundwork you have already laid, it’s time to start testing. Your app will need to go through multiple iterations of testing before it is ready to be released. However, don’t think of this as a bad thing. Testing is designed to get the bugs out before users have the chance to encounter them.

The other important thing about testing is you need to adjust your design once the test results come back. Often, mobile app designers and developers skip past important adjustments to save time. Don’t do this. While you will have plenty of time to adjust your app later, you will likely only have one chance at a first impression on your users. They will remember if their first experience with your app is buggy. This is easily avoidable, just make sure you don’t skip this step.

Step 9: Release it to the world

Now that you have gone from wondering how to get an app made to actually build an app of your own, the last step left is to release it out into the world. This can be a scary step in the process, but without it, the rest is pointless.

Keep in mind that the app development process is far from over at this point. There will still be plenty of iterations of your app to follow and new challenges to be overcome. Your app might take off immediately or it might take time to find the right audience. Whatever the outcome, you should feel proud of the fact that your idea is out there in the world.

The next step is to, again, test, adjust, and test again. This will be your mantra moving forward and you’ll slowly get used to it and perfect it.

Now that you have a better understanding of how to get an app made, we hope you will finally build that app you have always thought about making. The time to start is now!